“Or?” I asked, searching my twin’s face. “What’s the consequence?”
Vittoria exhaled. “You’ll die. Just as they’d always intended. We were never supposed to remember what we are. The night we took our amulets off? It made a fissure in our curse. That’s why she warned us against switching them. They weren’t going to alert the devil. They were going to begin a chain reaction that would set us free, another one of their prophecies. No one wants to free vengeance goddesses, especially when they’d wronged them.”
“How did you learn of this?” I asked.
“A spell book whispered its secrets to me. Soon after I’d taken my amulet off and had given it to you, my latent ability was unlocked, and it grew stronger over time, the whispers becoming louder and more insistent that I act. One day the whispers led me to the first book of spells. That’s how I learned the way to remove my own spell-lock.”
It was true. I’d read the entry in her journal that mentioned the whispers and Vittoria’s desire to understand. I moved away from the cell bars and collapsed onto the mattress, dust motes puffing up from it in a blast.
Nonna knew this whole time. She’d not only known, but she’d also been the one to bind us into our mortal forms. Knowing we’d eventually die—trapped as mortals—if we didn’t willingly choose to break the spell-lock. Our lack of education in offensive spells made sense now. All of it did. And I hated it. I wanted to keep fighting against it, but it all fit.
“But we were children. We grew up. How is that possible?”
“Do you remember traveling to that cabin in the woods? The one with Nonna’s friend?” Vittoria suddenly asked. I nodded, my unease growing. “How did we arrive there? How did we get home? Why was it so brutally cold and covered in snow? It felt a lot like here, didn’t it?”
Recently I had wondered the same thing. Had questioned the true purpose for that visit and how I couldn’t remember little details like traveling there and returning home. All I could remember were the cashmere gloves, the bubbling cauldron…
I felt the first prickle of tears forming and locked my jaw together. Our memories, our whole lives, nothing was real. It was all magic and lies and betrayal. And yet it still felt real.
“What about our parents?” I asked. “Did they know?”
Something like pity entered Vittoria’s eyes. “I’ll be back later to see what you decide. I don’t suggest waiting too long to make up your mind. Wrath won’t fight the poison off forever. He’s immensely powerful, but not against a magical poison crafted by Death.” She looked to my wound again. “And that needs to heal, or your choice will be made for you.”
“How?”
“If you die naturally, I’ll just bring you back. Without your mortal heart.”
“You could bring me bandages and supplies.”
“You’re right. I could.” Vittoria cocked her head. “But I won’t.”
I’d been lying on the mattress for only a few minutes, staring at nothing while trying to process everything I’d learned, when Envy appeared above me. His glare was impressive. A little haughty, a little vexed, and as brutally intent as I’d ever seen.
“Do you recall the Stars of Seven?” he asked.
“You asked me that before.”
“And you didn’t deign to respond.”
“In case you failed to notice,” I said, a bite in my tone, “we were interrupted.”
“Are you going to lie there and sulk all evening? Or focus on the task at hand?” His voice was crisp with annoyance. How dare I not immediately heed his royal demands.
Aside from a murder I wasn’t certain was truly a murder, there was the blood retribution on Vittoria, Wrath’s poisoning, and everything I’d just learned of my family to contend with in a short amount of time. My world was crashing down faster than Greed’s gaming hall, and Envy ought to crawl back to his corner and leave me to think for a few minutes. I needed to set an achievable list of goals, and at the moment, I was struggling to string together a single thought.
“Allow me to refresh your memory,” he said. “You went searching for the Seven Sisters. You found them and the Triple Moon Mirror I was after. Do you recall where?”
“Why does that—” I sat up, wincing at the resurgence of pain. My skin was beginning to burn up, like a fever was overtaking me. I looked at the roots on the ceiling, piecing together what Envy was getting at. And my stomach sank. “There was a tree in the Sin Corridor. I had to feed it blood to open the secret door in its trunk.”
“Do you know why I sent you after the mirror?” Envy pressed, his tone taking on a bit of urgency. I shook my head. “Because the key to unlock the magic on the tree requires hell god blood. Goddess blood. No one else can get that doorway to open. And I mean no one, no matter how powerful.”
“Blood and bones.” My head ached. “If Wrath even managed to somehow break free, he can’t find me. The Sin Corridor blocks our bond. And even if he found the tree, he can’t access it.”
“The tree has roots, but it often moves around, making it nearly impossible for any demon to track. Which means we need to devise an escape plan.” He glanced at my wound with disgust. “And we need to do so quickly before you’re of no use to me at all.”
“Your concern for my welfare is truly touching.” I sighed when Envy nodded in agreement, clearly missing the sarcasm in my tone. “I can’t melt the bars. I doubt I can burn our way out. I can tell my sister I’ll agree to giving her my mortal heart, but if she gets to my heart before we can subdue her, I imagine my acceptance will be enough for her to act. What do you suggest?”
Envy paced around the small cell, running a hand through his hair. He worked his jaw as if he’d come up with an idea but was silently arguing with himself. Finally, he stopped and turned to me. His expression was cold. His eyes twin pits of fathomless hatred. “Your sister wants me.”
I blinked as his meaning sank in. “You’re going to what? Offer to sleep with her?”
“We are on the brink of war, Emilia. I’ll fuck her senseless if I must. I’ll use my sin and make it so good she’ll envy any other lover I take after her. It might buy you time to slip out of the cell.”
“What about you?” I asked, hating that I’d even consider going along with something that clearly made him look on the verge of experiencing my husband’s sin. “If I slip away, you’ll still be trapped. With her. There’s no telling if she did murder Greed’s commander. And I’d hate to see what she’d do to you if you betray her.”
“Your concern for my welfare is truly touching,” he quoted back to me, earning himself an offensive hand gesture. “I’ll move so I’m near the cell door. Then I’ll shove her toward the mattress, be as rough as she likes, and slam the door before she knows what we’re doing. If we’re lucky, I won’t have to touch her more than the prodding toward the bed.”